1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bicycle carriers and more particularly pertains to a pick-up truck bicycle rack positionable within the bed of a pick-up truck for supporting a plurality of bicycles in a parallel, spaced relationship.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of bicycle carriers is known in the prior art. More specifically, bicycle carriers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of removably attaching at least one bicycle to a vehicle are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a removable vehicle cycle carrier is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,139 which is arranged for mounting upon the flat bed of a truck, trailer or van. The device includes a pair of upwardly opening channel-shaped members coupled to a plurality of transversely extending runners which support the channels on the bed and engage the truck side walls to secure the channels in place.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,504 which teaches a bicycle rack for a pick-up truck which includes an extendible longitudinal bar on which mounting brackets are provided for mounting one or more bicycles, as well as detached front bicycle wheels. The bicycles may be attached to the device by removing the front wheel of the bicycle and attaching the front fork of the bicycle to the rack.
Other known bicycle carrying devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,037,019; 5,040,710; and 5,127,564.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a pick-up truck bicycle rack positionable within a bed of a pick-up truck for supporting a plurality of bicycles in a parallel, spaced relationship which includes a pair of transverse members positionable against opposed front and rear sides of wheel wells within the truck bed with a plurality of bicycle wheel receiving channels extending orthogonally over the transverse members to support a bicycle within each one of the channels, wherein the transverse members engage the front and rear sides of the wheels wells to preclude movement of the rack within the truck bed. Further, none of the known prior art bicycle carriers teach or suggest a pick-up truck bicycle rack of the aforementioned structure which further includes a vertically extending upright member pivotally mounted to each of the channels which attaches to the bicycle to support the same in a vertical orientation.
In these respects, the pick-up truck bicycle rack according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a plurality of bicycles in a parallel, spaced relationship within a pick-up truck bed.